Cable service providers and other broadband service providers provide a wide variety of services to any number of customers or households. Examples of services that are provided include television service, telephone service, and Internet service. Typically, a cable service provider utilizes an infrastructure of fiber optic and radio frequency cables in order to communicate broadband signals to various customers and receive commands and other communications from the customers.
Within conventional cable infrastructures, a first frequency band is typically utilized for a forward data path or downstream data path and a second frequency band is typically utilized for a return data path or upstream data path. For example, a frequency band between eighty-eight (88) megahertz (MHz) and one (1) gigahertz (GHz) can be utilized to forward broadband communications from a cable plant to one or more households, and a frequency band between five (5) and eighty-five (88) MHz can be utilized to receive return signals from the one or more households. However, with increasing services being offered by cable providers and increasing bandwidth demands by customers, the existing return path likely will not have a sufficient data capacity to communicate return signals in a timely manner. In order to increase capacity, cable providers are typically required to install or add additional fiber nodes that are capable of providing service to their customers. Such installation often includes significant equipment costs.
Therefore, improved systems, methods, apparatus, and devices that facilitate the provision of broadband communication are desirable. Additionally, improved systems, methods, apparatus, and devices that provide increased return signal capability are desirable.